Happy New You 2019

Author of Practical Steps to Financial Independence and personal business & finance coach, Mr Usiere Uko, writes on achieving a better result in 2019.

In a few days, the year 2018 will become history, as others before it. It was a tough year for many. Some have given up the fight and emigrated to Canada and other destinations. For those of us that still have hope and have no plans to bail out, our goals for 2019 is ready to go.

Having goals is fantastic. For it to come alive there must be a plan and strategy for achievement. As we hope for a more prosperous New Year 2019, how do we plan to achieve it?

Hopefully by now, you would have done a private lessons learned session regarding your finances in 2018. What went well? Which area do you need to improve?

One key lesson you can need to learn is that how the year turned out is of your own making. You are responsible. If you had done something different, you would have ended up with a different result. This is very difficult for many people to admit. We are quick to blame others for our problems. The problem with playing the blame game is that it leaves you intact; same old you, which will replicate same old result.

Change begins with you

The first step is for you to change. If you do not change, you will end up repeating the same old pattern. The calendar might change but the results remain the same. What do you need to do to change?

You need to update your operating system if your computer keeps hanging. If you are feelings stuck and are finding it difficult to move on with your life, you need to upgrade. Who you are now cannot handle where you want to go.

You cannot remain the same and expect things to change. Your comfort zone has kept you comfortable thus far. To go farther, you need to step forward. You need to acquire new knowledge and skills. You need to dare to step out.

I often ask myself the worst that can happen? Most of what we are afraid of never materializes. Even if you try and fail, you learn valuable lessons that will improve your chances of succeeding next time. Fear can stop you from living your life to the fullest if you allow it. Don’t be afraid to step forward. Make that call or visit, ask questions, take action. Being told no is not the end of the world. Keep moving. Stop giving excuses.

Prosperity in recession

Although the country is technically out of recession, most of its citizens are not yet out. What is recession to one is an opportunity to another. It depends on how you look at it. Money has not mysteriously disappeared from the country. It is simply changing hands. People are still building new houses, buying new toys, travelling anytime they want to.

I am not sure we learned our lessons from the last recession. Oil prices went to above $80 per barrel and everyone heaved a sigh of relief and our foreign reserves went back up. Oil has gone back to around $40 per barrel and we seem to be heading back towards recession. We have been warned harder days are ahead. Why are we still being held bound to the fortunes of the economy? If the government is going round in circles, must we join the aimless parade?

What are we doing to diversify our sources of income? Are we waiting for the government to diversify it for us? What additional stream of income did we add in 2018? What do we plan to do differently in 2019?

Happy New you

Many would be wondering ‘What can I do?’ That is not the right question. The right question would be ‘Who do I need to become in order to know what to do?’

Change starts from the inside, not by applying external formulas. Doing without changing first on the inside is not sustainable. Stepping out of your comfort zone starts with developing the courage to step out. If you lack that courage, you will run back at the first sign of trouble.

Getting new results doesn’t start from doing new things. It starts from building the capacity to do those new things on a sustainable basis. If the new action is not consistent, the new result will not manifest.

The New Year you desire starts from the new you. You cannot run away from it. The funny thing about running away is that you take you with you. Until the old you changes, you are not running away from the problem – you are running away with the problem.

You can learn how to manage your money better, but if you do not change, you simply fall back to old habits.

A prosperous New Year begins with a prosperous new you. If you are not prosperous, nothing you touch will become prosperous. It starts from the inside. That is why spending time alone to sort things out is very crucial. There has to be a shift.

When that shift happens, you start to gain clarity. You deal with your internal contradictions and understand what your priorities. When you are crystal clear, you become dead to public opinion polls. Unless they see what you are seeing, they won’t understand.

A new you will emerge that doesn’t stop learning and growing; a new you that makes and keeps commitments to yourself and others. A new you that has clarity as to who you are, what you are passionate about, what difference you were born to make and what legacy you want to leave.

The new you who will not outsource your responsibilities to God, but do your part. The new you who puts an end to the waiting game and do something fantastic with your life.

A new year beckons. Beyond the gathering dark political clouds, there is a silver lining. You can make it the best year of your life.

This is a toast to the new you, to humble beginnings, clear vision, focus, courage and tenacity to reach for a future beyond your wildest imagination.

Happy New You and happy New Year 2019! God bless you and Godspeed my friend. See you on the other side.